Yeddyurappa softens stance, says he wont quit BJP

NEW DELHI: BJP managed to salvage its government in Karnataka for now, reining in an agitated former chief minister BS Yeddyurappa who appeared to be on the verge of triggering a rebellion. After keeping BJP on tenterhooks for two days, he declared on Monday that he was not quitting the party yet.

Yeddyurappa made the announcement at a press conference in Bangalore within hours of the party's central leaders talking to him and his supporters. At the same time, in a subtle ultimatum to the party, he claimed that he had the support of 70 of the party's 121 MLAs in the 225-strong assembly and demanded that chief minister Sadananda Gowda be replaced.

"Bowing to pressure of legislators and following an appeal by senior party leader Arun Jaitley, I have decided to keep in abeyance my decision to quit the party," he said at a crowded press conference.

Earlier in the day, Yeddyurappa loyalist Shobha Karandlaje and nine MPs met senior BJP leaders in New Delhi,. "I met Arun Jaitleyji and Sushma Swaraj. Yeddyurappa will take (a) final decision. We have submitted our resignation to Yeddyurappa," she said after the meeting. Karandjale, one of the seven ministers who gave their resignations to Yeddyurappa, conveyed to Jaitley that the central leadership needed to take steps to resolve the crisis, according to party leaders. Jaitley is likely to go to Bangalore to talk to Yeddyurappa and other leaders.

As the situation seemed to be reaching a flashpoint, all eyes were on Yeddyurappa's press conference. Besides Gowda, Yeddyurappa also lashed out at party general secretary Ananth Kumar, KS Eshwarappa and RSS leader Satish blaming them for the crisis in the state unit. Alleging betrayal, the Lingayat leader, who visited Siddganga mut pontiff Shivakumara Swamiji of his community, said he had been promised reinstatement when he stepped down as chief minister.

However, BJP has told him that the recent Supreme Court order for a CBI probe in allegations against him for allowing illegal mining in the state had tied its hands till he got a clean chit. BJP acknowledges Yeddyurappa as its most influential leader in Karnataka, which face polls in less than a year. But the party has no option at this stage but to advise him to be patient. This was conveyed to him after a meeting of senior leaders of the party, including BJP president Nitin Gadkari, on Sunday night. Later, chief minister Gowda too had met Gadkari.

BJP sources said while Yeddyurappa understood the party's predicament, he was restless. However, faced with a CBI probe, Yeddyurappa's political adventurism had its limitations and his pressure tactics would only help Opposition.